Friday, June 20, 2014

Life is a Gift! That's why we call it the "Present." GIVEAWAY!!!

  Presents, presents, and more presents!!! But I am not complaining! {My birthday was Wednesday, June 18, by the way!} I think I am finally reaching a stage of maturity, because I didn't mention my birthday with nearly every breath like I usually do. But if you would ask Daniel for his opinion, I think he would tell you that I did still mention it quite often, even though I didn't blog about it! My dear hubby and sweet mom-in-law hatched the most splendid idea ever which was to give me presents for 5 days in a row preceding my birthday and ending up on the day! Was that ever a blast to have a gift just waiting to be opened each day! One even got eagerly opened at 12:01 a.m.!! But I was good, and didn't even sneak early peeks or open them all at once like I wanted to!
    Celebration started early on Tuesday with MamaLisa! As I was heading down to meet her in Pensacola, I added another warning to my stack of speeding warnings. {Still no ticket though! Yay! Fingers crossed...} I told the trooper that I totally knew I was speeding and was so sorry, but that I was meeting my mom-n-law for my birthday lunch....and did he know Chris Chambles?? I grew up down the road from him... :) lol! It worked! We had a fabulous lunch at the Fish House where I was privileged to mark eating the world-famous "Grits a Ya Ya!" off my bucket list! There's definitely a reason that these grits are renown!! After lunch, we hit Pensacola Hardware which is NOT your normal boring hardware store! It's as good as the mall! Then we browsed the Bodacious Olive and had fun sampling gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Birthday Cake yogurt with piles of toppings from Wild Honey topped off the day! Thanks again, Mom!! On Wednesday, I started the day off right in birthday style by eating microwave baked oatmeal covered with colorful sprinkles.  I didn't put a candle in though....Then Katie, Mel, Anne, and I had met at the Coffee House for some java & girl time. Next stop was Novus to see Marnita since she hadn't been able to make it for coffee. After that, I shopped Miller Pawn Shop {found a drop leaf table that I want, but it's $120!}, Dirt Cheap, and Goody's. Amazingly, I didn't spend a penny! Lunch was at Jalisco's with Daniel. Next item of the day was swimming with Mel and Katie. Instead of going out for a birthday supper, I went along with Danl to wreak havoc where the beavers are wreaking havoc on the old fish ponds drainage pipes. Eager beavers they are for sure!! They haven't gotten the message that they are supposed to MOVE, RELOCATE, or SCRAM because their home is scheduled to be leveled, so they have been most diligently trying to maintain the water levels that they are accustomed to! A Cheeselovers pizza with light sauce and black olives on half sure hit the spot after that escapade! Peg Leg Pete's will have to wait...sigh. After supper, I was kinda sad because my birthday was almost over, and it wouldn't come for another whole year...but I still have several celebrations on the horizon! My birthday twin Roxie and I have yet to give ourselves the honors, and I think my family is planning an outing or two and a good meal to boot! So there's no reason to be blue! 
   Yesterday had me singing "O Happy Day!" Mel gave me an awesome present that has me ready for some fun in the sun!! Then when I got home from working at Dad's, an enormous birthday present from Jill was sitting on my front-porch bench! Wow, Jill! So many gorgeous gifts up in that box!! Thanks!! Also got to open a loaded card from DaddyWayne and MomDenise! Thank you!! I already know what I am going to buy!! Supper at Kim Holdeman's was the next highlight. Fajitas with friends out on the porch, balloons, coffee & cupcakes, and a magical present from London a is a perfect combination! You're the best, Nes!!!! 
   Now for the GIVEAWAY! Since I had such a wonderful birthday, thanks to all my dear family and friends, I want to share the joy by giving YOU a present as is the custom in some cultures! And since birthdays always make me think of cake, what could be better than this marvelous cupcake batter dispenser?! I have been in love with mine ever since Tiff gave me one for Christmas! It works like a charm! To enter this Birthday Giveaway, please describe in the comments your most magical birthday ever! Why do you remember it? What made it special? Once entry per person will be counted, but feel free to add as many comments as you like! This giveaway will be open for entries until July 18, 2014. Bring on the memories of your best birthday, because after all, birthdays are the reason we were born!

 Cake Batter Dispenser With Measuring Label - 4 Cup Capacity NEW

Friday, June 6, 2014

rubba scrubba??

Well, you know I need to write about CLEANING since I just had to clean two glumps of some unknown substance off my laptop screen so I could see what I was typing! It's bad, I know. And since I am a much better analyzer, list maker, and ponderer than I am a cleaner, I have been making so much progress this summer in internal therapy as to WHY I am such a wretched housekeeper! Is it genetic?? Did my mom just not train me RIGHT?? {sorry, Mom! :)} Am I just plain LAZY?? Should I even try to CHANGE? Or just accept my Mama Bear closets?? And be HAPPY that Daniel and I spend way too much time hunting for our stuff among our stuff??


I am too much of a perfectionist to accept the myth that I can't improve my habits, and put my life back together like a magazine picture! {As if it ever was?!} So...... I have started polling my friends that appear to live like Martha Stewart/Betty Crocker {they tell me they don't, but the drawer under the oven doesn't lie!!} for success tips, etc. to get me on the road to complete, organized bliss. Here are some snitches of what they had to say!

"Make the bed!! Even if it's late in the day, just make it." {Even after making this a New Year's Try-To, I still fail miserably at this one.}
"I like to get dressed and comb my hair before leaving the bedroom."  {Oh dear, no lounging in yoga pants til lunch?!}
"Keep the dishes done."  {Supposedly this tidbit had come at one time from me!!!?? Wow. I went off course.}
"It helps to have enough storage."  {OK, this one makes sense. Trailer house does not = storage!}
"I actually enjoy cleaning." {You DO? Oh....HOW?}
"Try FlyLady's 15 minute Decluttering rule. It really works!!!"  {FlyLady, here I come!}
"You can't have it all. I wish I had all your ideas and creativity. Just be yourself." {Thanks! I feel better already!}
"I don't like to cook, but I love to sew."  {Well, I don't like to sew, but I love to cook....if I don't have to do dishes.}
"I didn't like how rigid my mom was with household rules. We had to put our shoes away immediately and hang things in our closets just so....I hated it. {Thanks, Mom, for being just the way you were!!}
"I don't think we can completely change our natures, but we can each try to improve in areas where we don't shine. {Such wise, sane advice. Maybe I don't need to continue internal therapy, and friend surveys after all.}

FlyLady's Rubba Scrubba
{Mr. Rubba Scrubba}

Anyway, I decided to check out http://www.flylady.net/ to see what she had to offer. Hmmmm.....I signed up for her daily emails that she deems very important, {GULP! 10+ per day?! I guess I will be so organized I will have time to read piles of emails!} but I am not completely convinced that I should become a "FlyBaby" and go "fluttering" around! I also draw the line at wearing lace up shoes in the house!! That being said, I did enjoy her tip of grabbing a trashbag and walking around the house throwing aways 27 things. Love the randomness of the number 27! It was actually harder than I thought it would be, but then it would be hard for a hoarder to throw away 27 things....Her next command was to give away 27 things. This was actually easier for some odd reason... Both activities were very good for my constitution! Maybe I should become a fledgling FlyBaby, and go fluttering around swishing and swiping with my Purple Rags, Rubba Scrubba, and Rubba Sweepa! Ummm... Really?? I'm thinking some Sitta Whila while I Reada Booka would be better! Like my favorite poem, "Dust if You Must!" I'm torn. I want to be a relaxed, fun person whose house is always ready for friends to drop by! But, that doesn't happen while you're Deepa Sleepa! What do you think?? Are any of y'all already happily fluttering around as FlyBabies?! Maybe if she didn't call her followers FlyBabies and FlyGuys I would be more excited about this. But then I never have been excited about cleaning! It's much more fun to write about cleaning than to actually clean. 

FlyLady's Rubba Swisha
{Mrs. Rubba Squisha}